44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 7, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/7/23 2:34:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at his news conference on Chinese interference yesterday, the Prime Minister once again made it clear that he just does not get it.
People want a public inquiry. He announced a secret committee. Secret is not public; it is secret. We wanted an independent inquiry.
The Prime Minister is going to appoint a special rapporteur himself. This person will report to him and submit their report to him. That is not independent in the least.
Why is the PM refusing to set up an independent public commission of inquiry?
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- Mar/7/23 2:35:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the Liberals do not understand is that this is not about opposing the government.
This is not about one party against another. It is about public trust in the electoral system. It is about ensuring a level playing field from the start. If we cannot address the issue of the integrity of our elections in a transparent manner, frankly, we are in trouble. We will start to look like a banana republic, with all due respect to bananas.
When will the Prime Minister create an independent public commission?
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- Mar/7/23 2:37:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the allegations of foreign interference are disturbing and serious. That is why, at committee, we asked for a public inquiry. We asked for a process that is independent and public.
Why is the Prime Minister ignoring these two criteria?
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- Mar/7/23 2:48:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that gave me goosebumps.
We need an inquiry into foreign interference in our elections that is both transparent and independent.
Instead, the Prime Minister is appointing a special rapporteur who is supposedly independent, even though this person will be appointed by him. Then, this special rapporteur, appointed by the Prime Minister, will decide what the inquiry will and will not cover. This special rapporteur, appointed by the Prime Minister, will be the one to decide whether the Prime Minister should do more to counter foreign interference.
This rapporteur may well be special, but are we really supposed to believe they will be independent?
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- Mar/7/23 3:06:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in a democracy, candidates are not guaranteed to win an election, but they must be assured that the election is conducted by the book, without cheating, without money received on the sly, without people being bullied into voting, and without foreign interference. That is democracy.
These conditions make it possible to accept the results of elections. If the public loses confidence in the electoral system, democracy is weakened. That is why we need an independent public inquiry.
Why is the Prime Minister stubbornly refusing this inquiry?
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- Mar/7/23 3:07:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's concerns.
That is why we created two independent panels that verified that the 2019 and 2021 elections were free and fair. Now, we will follow a process managed by a special rapporteur. The rapporteur will table recommendations that the government will follow.
Yes, this is very important. We will continue to protect our democratic institutions.
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